Author

Committee Chair

Committee Member

Department

Dept. of Psychology

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Abstract

Slips of action are cognitive errors that occur during routine tasks in everyday life (Clark, Parakh, Smilek, & Roy, 2012). Minimizing these everyday errors involves executive function, a system of complementary cognitive processes that enable control over thoughts and actions, including attention, inhibition, cognitive switching, and maintaining and manipulating the contents of working memory (Norman & Shallice, 2000). Many aspects of executive function are necessary for self-regulation, or the management of habitual, dominant, prepotent responses (Hamilton, Vohs, Sellier, & Meyvis, 2011). The present study explored the relationship between self-regulation, using self-report questionnaires, and executive function, using task-based assessments. Greater self-regulatory ability was related to fewer attention-related cognitive errors in everyday life, and tasks that require accounting for unexpected, non-habitual information were more difficult than routine tasks with expected information. Speed of responding was significantly related to performance on the task-based assessments and self-regulation potentially interjected when speed was held constant.

Acknowledgments

Dr. Amanda Clark, thank you so much for your kind, helpful guidance. I cannot imagine having gone through this experience without you and the wonderful support you give. You are truly inspirational and have granted me so much confidence in my abilities with your encouragement and sincere investment in me as a student.
Dr. Amye Warren and Dr. Chris Cunningham, thank you both for being on my thesis committee and providing me with direction and support; I truly appreciate your help and encouragement.
Carrie, Natalie, Joe, Matt, and Dom, I am so fortunate to have had you all by my side during this experience. We were like a little family, and I appreciate the guidance and amazing friendship you have all provided me with, especially Carrie who took care of us all! I am so excited to see the amazing work you all do in the future, and will always have to fondest memories of this program due in very large part to you all. Thank you!
To the professors of the Psychology Department and students of the Assessing Cognition Lab, you all are unbelievably helpful and encouraging. I am so proud to have been a part of this program and to have been blessed with the opportunity to learn and grow from you all.
Thank you, Hailey, for being so helpful, sweet, and encouraging, and always being there for me to vent and to make me laugh, and to Allen for putting up with me for all those hours in the lab!

Degree

M. S.; A thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Science.